Scola case on ice

Thursday

Since the 2002 stabbing death of Candace Scola, virtually 100 percent of the attention has been focused on one suspect: her estranged husband, Worcester lawyer Anthony Scola.

In fact, in 2006, then-Worcester DA John Conte was clear where the attention lay:

&ldquo;I would say Scola is a suspect,&rdquo; Conte told us. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s the only one we looked at.&rdquo;

Two years later, it looks like little has changed. The Scola grand jury has convened to hear evidence in the case over the past couple months, sources tell Worcester Magazine. And among those being called in before the panel most recently have been members of Scola&rsquo;s former lawyer-centric ice hockey team.

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reported this week that several former Scola-teammates (he was the goalie) have been questioned by Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Frank Middleton &mdash; the man now in charge of the case &mdash; in front of the grand jury. Sources say that the team has been asked about Scola&rsquo;s demeanor and any anger issues dating back to 2002.

One former Scola teammate told Lawyers Weekly he never noticed any disturbing conduct by Scola on or off the ice and that Scola has &ldquo;done a lot of good things for me and a lot of other people.&rdquo;

The hockey team questioning is just the latest in a long, winding case that has frustrated Candace Scola&rsquo;s family, many legal observers, and Anthony Scola&rsquo;s own legal team over the past several years. (&ldquo;Ultimately, someone has to fish or cut bait here,&rdquo; said Scola attorney Michael Wilcox to T&G columnist Dianne Williamson last month. &ldquo;They&rsquo;re six years into an investigation and they haven&rsquo;t indicted anyone. They owe Mr. Scola an apology if they don&rsquo;t indict him.&rdquo;)

Despite Anthony Scola&rsquo;s high profile and his former role in the DA&rsquo;s office, Conte ignored calls to transfer the investigation until 2005, when the case was handed to special prosecutor Joseph Gaughan under increased political pressure. At the time, Conte wrote in a press release that &ldquo;Because of both Mr. and Mrs. Scola&rsquo;s deep ties to the Worcester County legal community and the resulting intense public interest, an independent special prosecutor has been enlisted to review the status of the investigation and to allay any concerns that may be generated by the Scolas&rsquo; relationships with the local legal community.&rdquo;

Since 2005, there have been repeated claims from Conte, Gaughan, and now-DA Joseph Early Jr. that the case was getting closer to a conclusion: That a decision on prosecution was on the way, or that the investigation was nearing an end.

There&rsquo;s been less public word on the status of the investigation since the case was transferred from Gaughan&rsquo;s control to the Plymouth DA&rsquo;s office after Gaughan became ill. He later passed away from cancer.

On Tuesday, Early&rsquo;s spokesman Tim Connolly said that the Worcester DA&rsquo;s office has essentially ceded all responsibility for the case to Plymouth, and has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation.

Plymouth County DA spokeswoman Bridget Norton-Middleton &mdash; who has repeatedly said that her office doesn&rsquo;t comment on ongoing investigations &mdash; didn&rsquo;t return a call for comment. o